Bibliographic information

GuidelineAbortion care guideline, 2nd ed
Year of Publication2024
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization

Recommendation

Maintained

For non-life-threatening post-abortion infection: Recommend initial management by traditional and complementary medicine professionals

Recommended in favor

Strong

Notes and Remarks

* For the pharmacists, pharmacy workers and community health workers, it is important that they are equipped with the knowledge to recognize signs and symptoms of this complication.

Implementation considerations

  • It is important that pharmacists, pharmacy workers and community health workers are equipped with the knowledge to recognize signs and symptoms of the complications of unsafe abortion and to know where to refer women in their communities.
  • Restrictions on prescribing authority for some categories of providers may need to be modified or other mechanisms put in place for allowing such providers to administer the antibiotics within the regulatory framework of the health system.

KEY HUMAN RIGHTS CONSIDERATIONS RELEVANT TO NON-LIFE-THREATENING COMPLICATIONS

  • Regardless of whether abortion is legal, States are required to ensure access to postabortion care where it is needed.
  • Post-abortion care must be available on a confidential basis, including in situations where abortion is illegal.
  • Post-abortion care must be available without the threat of criminal prosecution or punitive measures. States must not require health workers to report persons suspected of undertaking unlawful abortion, or require them to provide any potentially incriminating information during or as a prerequisite to receiving post-abortion care. For further information and sources, please refer to Box 1.2 and Web annex A: Key international human rights standards on abortion.

Also Featured In

This recommendation also appears in the following guidelines:

Originally Developed
Guideline

Abortion care guideline

Year2022
InstitutionWHO